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Need help planning first time trip to Costa Rica

Taking my boyfriend for a 5 day birthday trip to Costa Rica in mid March. We would actually only be there for 4 full days. Neither one of us have ever been there and though we won't have a lot of time, we'd love to squeeze in as much as possible. We don't mind not having a lot of down time. We're both in our early 30's and are looking for beach, adventure (zip lining! and sightseeing), and some nightlife. From reading the different posts, I can't really tell which area would be best suited for us. We definitely don't want a sleepy beach town, but don't want a super touristy (a la cancun) area either, but beach is definitely important. We would be flying in from San Francisco. Tickets have not been purchased yet, so at this point any suggestions would be great!
Thanks in advance for your help!
M.

Hi,
We traveled to CR in early April two years ago. My family is also adventurous even though we have two kids. I think Manuel Antonia would suit your needs well. The nightlife may not be rocking, but, the mood was definitely festive. The beaches are simply gorgeous. We stayed in an Octaganol home in Tulemar Bungalows that has a private beach with a fun beachside cafe and bar.
Zipling with Canopy Safari was the highlight of our trip. Incredible company with fun guides and a scenic drive.
We wished we had more time in that are to pursue sea kayaking and surf lessons etc..
Enjoy!

HI,
for you first time in CR you can not miss La Fortuna area and Manuel Antonio natural park.
You can hire a driver or rent a car.
In my opinion the best you can do is to rent a car.
Try to contact Dollar Rent a Car CR.

Since you only really have 4 full days, I'd only go to one spot. Manuel Antonio would be nice - beautiful beach inside the park, lots of wildlife, ziplining, horseback riding, mangrove tours, etc. And lots of hotel and restaurant choices. Not a ton of nightlife, but you could enjoy sunset views, and some places have live music.

Thanks All! I'm actually going to spend two nights in Arenal and two nights in Manuel Antonio. Staying at Nayara in Arenal and at Marenas de Mar in Manuel Antonio.
Any thoughts on any great local places for dinner in La Fortuna and Manuel Antonio?

The food at Nayara is very good, so I'd eat there one night and maybe go to Don Rufino for the other. In MA, there are lots of choices that are popular Cafe Agua Azul, Barba Roja, Kapi Kapi, Ronnie's Place. Cafe Milagro has good coffee drinks.

Thanks @volcanogirl! appreciate the tips! .... is there any nightlife (bars, music) in either area? We're both in our early 30's and would love to know of any places to go to (if any) after dinner. We're also spending one night in San Jose, before flying home the next morning. So any San Jose recommendations would be great as well. I can't seem to find a lot of info on San Jose restaurants or nightlife.
Thanks so much!

There's a disco in the Arenal area. We've never gone to it, but the music is booming when you drive by. In general there's not a ton of nightlife in these areas. Most people end up getting up at 5:30 because the sun is up, and the howlers and birds can get pretty loud. For MA, I'd check with your hotel to see what they recommend, but some places do offer live music. I'd recommend eating early in MA so you can enjoy the beautiful sunset views.